Defending the BB?

[bvaughn]

Obviously this hand worked out very nice for me, but is defending my BB with just 45s dumb, smart or borderline?


Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, MP folds, CO folds, Button calls, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.

Flop: (6 SB) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button folds, SB calls.

River: (8.50 BB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, SB calls.

Final Pot: 16.50 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
SB shows Jd Ad (three of a kind, aces).
Hero shows 5h 4h (straight, seven high).
Outcome: Hero wins 16.50 BB. </font>

[Schneids]

To answer your question:
Against players who will give a lot of action postflop I think it's an ok call. I've called with it before against an UTG raise when it ended up HU because UTG was extremely, extremely aggressive. And I hit the flop hard, and got almost every street capped.

[stripsqueez]

if its just you and the SB or 3 way including the SB i think call is normal

if i have this hand in the SB and the button limps i usually fold

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Nate tha' Great]

I'd defend with 54s against a raise from any position, and especially against open-raise from the SB. The exception is if my opponent is someone who plays exceptionally well postflop, but those folks are rare.

[donkeyradish]

I'd want the pot to be a decent size, to defend a BB with 54s, otherwise I'd give it up.

Just my opinion.

[shejk]

The way I see it, when there are limpers before the raiser, or already a caller, you aren't exactly defending your blind. Rather, you're calling a raise only you can expect to be in a rather bad position on following rounds (but at least your after the preflopraiser...). If I had implied odds for my 45s (expected good action on a flopped straight for example, as you got) then I'd make the call.

[kiddo]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd want the pot to be a decent size, to defend a BB with 54s, otherwise I'd give it up.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are going for the straight or flush, yes. But if you want to win hitting a pair on a low flop you would prefer headsup. For example: Predictable player raises, you call in BB, flop comes 953, you checkraise, he calls flop and folds when turn doesnt hit his overcards.

[donkeyradish]

But - I wouldn't be thinking a low flop was any more likely than usual. Heads up I prefer to defend with high cards (or a pair)

[naphand]

The key word in kiddo's post was "predictable".

If your opponent is raising with a narrow range of hands, such that you can confidently put him on high cards, when those high cards are missing from the flop you can comfortably bet any part of it, or CR when he bets his overcards. This is the point. Lose small pots, win bigger ones, its a question of having an opponent you can put on a range of hands, plus sufficient aggression that you can extract extra bets from him when the flop favours you.

[donkeyradish]

I fully understand this point, but my counter-argument is that the flop isn't favourable sufficiently frequently enough to tempt me to do that.

Call me predictable if you like. If however a player was always trying to steal my blind with any 2 cards I'd re-raise back often enough.

[Peter_rus]

[ QUOTE ]
but my counter-argument is that the flop isn't favourable sufficiently frequently enough to tempt me to do that

[/ QUOTE ]

With 45s and late attack i will check/raise any flopped pair (without ace on board and _two_ cards T or higher) as well as catching drow - this will happen more than 40% of time. Isn't it enough? With early attack HU - i prefer folding - with 3 or more way flop - i will always call preflop.

[naphand]

Yes it is if it's one bet more to you in BB, even HU you are getting 3:1 on the call. I think it is enough, but it is probably sufficiently marginal (due to getting outdrawn on the Turn/River) to require making reasonably decent (i.e. not just small) pots a must. Without the right opponent/s and a willingness to play hands aggressively when you do hit, I think it is easy to lose money in these positions.